Apparatus for distributing comminuted material



L. POWELL Oct. 11, 1932.

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING COMMINUTED MATERIAL Filed Jan. 26, 1951 Patented Oct. 11, 119532;

UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAURENCE POWELL, OP COLUMBUS, OHioAssiGi\ioRlfi'o THE sALEMTooLcOMPAiW,

OP SALEM, OHIO,1A CORPORATION OP'OHIO APPARATUS "Pon DISTR'IPUTING ooiviiviinu'rnn MATERIAL `Appnmaomi med Januaryae, `1e3i.fseria1 No, 511,274.

My invention relates c to Y apparatus for uniformly distributing lime,I fertilizer andv the like over the ground, and more particularly to hand Wheeled vehicles for uniformly 5 distributing fertilizer over ,lawns or golf course greens,and the like.

, Hand wheeled fertilizer distributors have been in use for many years, and generally f include a hopper, means eecting a steady 1o iiovv of fertilizer from the bottom of the hopper, and means uniformly distributing the iiow of fertilizer from the hopper onto the ground. .A y Difficulty is had with the common type of i5' distributorin using dry fertilizer material,

in that when the distributing vehicle is stationary the fertilizer continues to flow out of the hopper and piles up at one location o n the ground, precluding uniformity of distri- 4240' bution at that place. x f

AV further Adifficulty arises in` connection with such distributors when it is desired :to uniformly distribute fertilizerand the like over a plot of ground within certainflxed boundaries. The usual method ofn accomplishing this. result is to wheel the'vehicle;

across the plot in lsuccessive parallel adjoin- V ing paths or zones, and it becomes necessary to turn the vehicle through 180 "i at the boundary termination of each path to position Y it for wheeling over the next adjoining path, or to move the vehicle diagonally inthe *reverse direction to bring itin positionfor the next adjoining path. During this turning or'` p diagonal manipulation of the vehicle, fertilizer is constantly flowing onto the ground with the result that it is distributed outside the boundary lines Vwhere it is not desired, or

the vehicle is stationary or turning in one direction, which meansniaybe easilyinoorporated in any standard type ofdistributor.

.These and other objects are attained vby the parts, improvements and combinations which comprise the present invention, and` which are particularly and distinctly pointed Lout and set forth inthe appended claims forming part hereof.y Y d In general terms, the invention comprisesany improved distributing vehicle including a storage bin or hopper journaled on wheels for movement over the ground, the'hopper having a seri-es of perforations at or near its bot-,- tom portion for discharging fertilizer and thelike, means operatively connected Ato one of the'wheels for agitating the fertilizer-in' the hopper and feeding itr through the perforations, means for receivingfthel fertilizer from the perforations and distributing it uniformly over the ground and means Vacting to dam the flow of the fertilizer between the perforations and the distributing means when the vehicleis stationary or turning in one direction' and "permitting steady flow to thejdistributing means when the vehicle is in forward. motion. i

A preferredy embodiment of the improve-` m-ents is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure lV is a rear elevation viewV lofthe improved-distributing vehicle Y Fig. 2 isa side elevation view thereof; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view as on line 3 3, of Fig. l.'

i Similar numerals refer to similar parts:

throughout the drawing. y i

rlhe distributing vehicle indicated generally at-9 preferably includes'the storage bin or hopper l() journaledat its lowerportion. upon the. horizontally disposed axle shaft 11V between wheelslQ and l2. These Wheels are journaled on theends of the shaft l1, and one of the wheels is as shown at 13. Y

The hopper l0 may beopen at the top and preferably keyed to the shaftA i preferably includes anv angular `sheet metal.;

Vmember substantially V-shaped in cross section forming thefront andrear walls Alll andv 14` respectively. The end walls 15 and 15 may be of wood, and are secured to the walls y 14 and 14 in any well lrnown manner.

.The shaft 11passes through the bottom Y portion of the hopper,being parallel to the planes of walls. 14 and 14 and journaled in the end walls 15 Vand 15. Y

An agitator andfeeder member 16, which Vmay have fourblades as represented at 16 isV secured to the shaft l1 withinthe hopper as by set screws `f17, and extends Y substantially 'Y the full width of the hopper." VThusY when the vehicle is .moved over the ground the wheel 12 will drive the feeder' member 16. l

A handle 18 is provided formovingvthe vehicle over the ground, and may bef-secured Vtoan angular metal strap 19 which is in turn secured to the top ofthe hopper 10.

A horizontalseriesof perforations 2OYis provided 'in the hopper wall adjacent the feeder 16.' and extending. substantially v throughout the width of the hopper, and is preferably located inthe lower portion of the rear Wall as best shown in Fig. 3. 1

A feed regulating member 21, preferablyin the form of a sheet metal plate,` is disposed on the outside of the rear'wall 14 over the perforations 20. The member 21 has formed l therein a horizontal series ,of perforations 22 adapted to` register with the perforations 2O.V

` ,Guide straps 23 may be secured to the rear wall 14 of the hopper for slidably holding the member 21 in position, and preferably include downwardly depending portions 23 slidably engaging over the top portion of the plate 21. i Y i n Means for manually adjusting the feed regulating member 21 may include a hand lever 24 pivotally mounted on the rear wall 14 of the. hopper as at 25, Vand having a slot and pin connection with the member 21 as at 26.` Thus manipulation of the lever 24Y will bring-the perforations 22 Yinto and out of registration with the perforations 20.

A scattering or distributing member is provided for distributing onto the ground material discharged from the hopper through the perforations 2O and 22. This distributing member is preferably a sheet metal plate 27 secured as by welding'or riveting to the bottom of the hopper, and extending substantially horizontally rearwardly therefrom a substantial distancebeyond Vthe perforations 22. The rear edge of the plate 27 may be curved downwardlyv as shown at 28 to aid in the distributing action.

The improved means -for damming the flow of material from the perforations preferably extends laterally from the hopper below and adjacent to the perforations, and may be an angular member 29, Vpreferably of sheet metal, Land having the depending leg 30 secured to the wall 14 below the regulating plate 21 as indicated at 31. 4A leg-32 extends horizontally rearwardly from the leg 30 immediately under the lower edge of the plate 21. A vertical upstanding flange-` 33 is preferably provided at the outer edge of the leg 32, and acts to damthe flow of ma- Y terial from the perforations when the feeder member is not being rotated.

. Inthe operation of the improved distributing"vehicle,fforward movement thereof will rotate the wheels 12 and 12', and rotation of jthe wheel 12v will rotate the feedermlf,ndis-- j chargin'gthe fertilizing material from within the hopper out through the perforations 20 and 22 and ontothe damvmember 29. When the lfeeder is rotating, the' material Willbe fforcedoverjthe flange 33 of the dam to fall onto the distributingplate 27, from which it will be distributed'over the ground. l

When the drive wheel12A and feeder are knot rotating, as when the vehicle Yis at rest 'or is being turned to the Vright as viewed in Fig. l, the material will be prevented fromlObviously, various modifications may be v y made in the vconstruction and arrangement of parts of my invention without departing tions in the location of the perforations and the dam, and in the construction and design of thedamming and distributing members.

I claim: `A l l. Apparatus forl distributing comminuted from the scope thereof,-such as slight varial material including walls forming a-hopper,`

oneof the walls having perforations formed therein for discharging material from the hopper, lmeans rotatively'mounted Vwithin the hopperfor agitating thematerial andV feedingthe sameout through the perforag tions, -means for rotatingthe last said means,

anda damming member on the hopper ad- ]acent the perforations, thefdamming member including an upstanding flange for pref venting discharge of material when the means for-agitating and feeding,y material is stationary.v 7 i Y 2. In a vehicle for distributing *commi-` nutedV material, walls forming a hopper-,one Vof the walls having perforations formed therein for discharging material from the hopper, wheels carrying the hopper, feedingVV means rotatably mounted within the hopper adjacentthe perforations, means operatively connecting one of the wheels to the feeding means, and a dammingmember extendingl laterally Vfrom the hopper below and adjacentthe perforations, the damming member ICS including an upstanding flange for prevent,- ing discharge of the material when the last said Wheel is stationary. Y

3. In a vehicle for distributing comminuted material, Walls forming a hopper, one of the Walls having perforations formed therein for discharging material from the hopper, Wheels carrying the hopper, feeding means rotatably mounted Within the hopper adjacent the perforations, means operatively connecting one of the Wheelstothe feeding means, and a for preventing discharge of the material when the vehicle is stationary. j Y In testimony that I claim the above, I have lhereunto subscribed my name. j A

LAURENCE POWELL; Y

damming member on the hopper adjacent the l perforations, the damming member includingy an upstanding flange for preventing dis-V charge of the material when the last saidv Wheel is stationary. Y

4. In a vehicle for distributing comminuted material, Walls forming a hopper, one of the i Walls having perforations formed therein for Y discharging material from the hopper, Wheels ycarrying the hopper, feeding means rotatably mounted Within the hopper adjacent the perforations, means operatively connecting one of the Wheels to the feeding means, a distributing member on the hopper below the discharge perforations, and a damming member on the hopper adjacent the perforations,

the damming member including an upstanding ange for preventing discharge ofthe material When the last said Wheel is stationary.

5. In a vehicle for distributing comminuted i material, Walls forming a hopper, one of ing discharge of the material when the ve-` hicle is stationary. j

6. In a vehicle for distributing comminuted material, Walls forming a hopper, one of the Walls having perforations formed therein for i discharging material from the hopper, Wheels carrying the hopper, feeding means rotatively mounted Within the hopper adjacent the perforations, means operatively connecting one of the Wheels to the feeding means, a feed `regulating member movably mounted on the .hopper for regulating the flow of material through the perforations,r a distributing member mounted on the hopper below the discharge perforations, and an angular damming plate mounted on the hopper immediately below the perforations, the damming Y plate including a laterally extending portion and a flange extending upwardly therefrom lon j ne 

